NEWS

 

METRO MUSIC QUARTET

The Metro Music Quartet will perform Friday February 25th, 18:00 hrs at Café Belcampo, De Hallen - Hannie Dankbaarpassage 10, 1053 RT Amsterdam. Entrance is free.

FRA FRA SOUND - FACEBOOK 

Unfortunately the Fra Fra Sound Facebook page is currently out of order. We're working on resolving the problem. 

AFRO SURINAM GNAWA MEETING - FRA FRA SOUND & MEHDI NASSOULI 

 

Following previous crossover experiments, Fra Fra Sound is once again collaborating with the Gnawa group of Mehdi Nassouli from Morocco. At first glance it seems far-fetched. Who now combines Afro-Caribbean Surinamese music with Gnawa? Fra Fra Sound and the Moroccan guests of Mehdi Nassouli are aware of the historical connections in their music.
The similarities in the music of Fra Fra Sound and Mehdi Nassouli go back to the kingdom of Ghana in the 12th century (roughly present-day South Mauritania/Mali). The music of the Ghanawis (people of Ghana) traveled through the Sahara to Morocco and became 'gnawa' there. The same music was involuntarily taken from West Africa to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, to the Surinamese coast, via European slave ships.
During the concert, Fra Fra Sound and Mehdi Nassouli trio return to the musical primal source of Africa, and show how Afro-Caribbean jazz, Gnawa and Desert blues are organically intertwined.
Mehdi Nassouli - lead vocals, guembri, ghaita, taloutart
Gnawi - krakebs, turn singing, dance
Carlo Hoop - congas, percussion
Yoran Vroom - drums
Robin van Geerke - piano
Michael Simon - trumpet
Felpe Castro - tenor saxophone
Vincent Henar - e-bass, bandleader

 

Date/time: January 30, 2022, 7:30 PM
Location: Theater aan het Spui, The Hague
Info & tickets: https://www.hnt.nl/voorstellingen/6197/Fra_Fra_Sound_Mehdi_Nassouli/Afro_Surinam_Gnawa_meeting_Kaseko_
Watch the concert: https://fb.watch/bfUHDlvR8u/

 

METRO MUSIC QUARTET

The new Metro Music Quartet formation will perform on November 6, 2021 in the OBA Bijlmerplein from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Entrance is free.

The musicians of the MMQ have known each other for a long time, they have worked together before in other music groups. Yet the Metro Music Quartet is a new formation, who gathered last summer to provide live music in the theater performance “Koningin van de voedselbank”. This performance ran during August and September. at the Bijlmer Museum. The members of the group are in daily contact with Randstad neighborhoods that are often connected to city centers by metros.  In this specific case, the Southeast Metropolitan Area in Amsterdam. 

Metro Music Quartet plays an infectious, compelling crossover of jazz and music from the Caribbean, Suriname, the African continent and South America.
Line-up:
Sharief Wagid Hosain – alto saxophone
Robin van Geerke – piano
Urvin Robinson Doornkamp – drums
Vincent Henar – E-bass

 

ANNIVERSARY CONCERT / HOLIDAY SALES  

We had planned our 40th anniversary concert in april 2020....  but considering we would like to invite ALL our family, friends and fans for this great event, we're now looking for a new date in 2021. So till then... BE WELL and BE SAFE!!
And for the holiday season you can now order our LP's/CD's for reduced prices till Monday 18 January 2021 !! 
Check Our SHOP! 

BROKI-RHYTHM & STRING SEPTET

Broki Rhythm & String Septet will perform on 2nd November 2020 at the Bijlmer Parktheater and 30th November at Muziekgebouw aan het IJ. Read about the content of the concerts and check the ticket links in the items below.

THE IJ-SALON: SRANAN POKU - a Surinam party

Surinamese musicians challenge members of the Concertgebouw Orchestra - and vice versa. Swinging rhythms and instrumental highlights meet each other in a groundbreaking program. Inspirators and instigators of this musical encounter are guitarist / composer Andro Biswane and bassist Vincent Henar, one of the founders of the legendary band Fra Fra Sound.

The musicians of the Concertgebouw Orchestra and the band members of the Broki Rhythm & String Septet play Surinamese repertoire together plus parts from the atmospheric Die Stücke der Windrose by composer Mauricio Kagel.

Lineup:

Andro Biswane - guitar
Broki Rhythm & String Septet:
Vincent Henar - electric bass
Robin van Geerke - piano
Enrique Firpi - percussion
Musicians from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Muziekgebouw aan het IJ - Large hall
Date: 11/30/2019 - Time: 2:15 PM - 5:00 PM
Info & tickets: Muziekgebouw - The IJ-Salon

 

BIJLMER KLASSIEK: DE ZWARTE MOZART
 

The Black Mozart (1745-1799)
The concert starts with Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-George. Born in Guadeloupe as the son of a slave girl and a French plantation owner. At the end of the 18th century he caused a furore in Paris as a composer and violinist. From there, the musical journey continues through Africa to well-known Surinamese songs of our time such as Anansi The Survivor, based on the story of Konu Oloisi lasi.

Broki Rhythm & String Septet:
Vincent Henar - bass guitar
Robin van Geerke - piano
Enrique Firpi - cajon and musicians from the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

This program has been compiled by viola player Michael Gieler and bass player and band leader Vincent Henar.

Adults: € 16.00
CJP and Stadspas: € 13.50
Children (up to 12 years): € 7.00

A break drink (lemonade for kids) is included in the price.
Start: 20:00hrs
Duration: approximately 60 minutes 

Info / tickets: Bijlmer Parktheater

WORLD OPEN JAZZ CONCERTS ZUIDOOST
 

Vincent Henar hosts a new series of free concerts each 1st Saturday afternoon at OBA Bijlmerplein. 

In recent decades, the Zuidoost district has become a sought-after living environment for a wide range of professional musicians. Musicians working in a variety of genres, from jazz, classical, pop and world, often with a national and international reputation. Nowadays, quite a few conservatory students live in the Bijlmer.

The majority of these musicians perform throughout the country and far beyond, yet they rarely, if ever, appear in their own neighborhoods in Southeast. Therefore from September OBA Bijlmerplein presents World Open Jazz Concerts every 1st Saturday of the month. It is an open stage for musicians who live in or are connected to the Bijlmer and other Southeast neighborhoods.

The concerts have an informal character with an easily accessible setting, close to the audience and as much as possible acoustic. The performances are varied in form, for example as an informal jam session or as an experiment where musicians from different genres enter into surprising confrontations and collaborations with each other.

The musical encounters bring together audiences and fans of jazz, improvisation and other adventurous music. Together with the bands and musicians, a local jazz community is being built, where the richness and diversity of cross-overs and jazz in the neighborhood is widely featured.

Following dates:
09/11/2019 - Mike del Ferro Trio
29/11/2019 - Maspoti Band during Food Festival (not part of this series)
05/12/2019 - Brass Babes, featuring Sanne Landvreugd

Time: 15:00 - 17:00 hrs. 
Info: OBA Bijlmerplein

 

FRA FRA SOUND Re-score FAJA LOBI
13/04/2017 @ BIRD - Rotterdam
 

This evening we'll see a very special project at BIRD. The Dutch-Surinamese documentary Faja Lobi will be shown live with a brand new musical score by Fra Fra Sound, Ronald Snijders and more!
Faja Lobi gives a lyrical and poetic look at the different cultures and landscapes in Suriname. We follow the course of the Maroni River and its villages and see the different communities living together. The original soundtrack of Big Jones, a popular Surinam musician, crafted especially for this evening, features vocals and is supplemented with original pieces.
Line-up:
Ronald Snijders: flute
Robin Geerke: piano
Carlo Hoop: percussion
Urvin Doornkamp: drums
Adedeji Adetayo: guitar
Michael Simon: trumpet
Vincent Henar: bass
Franklin Caesar: tenor saxophone
t.b.a: vocals

Info & tickets: BIRD-Rotterdam. 

 

 

FRA FRA SOUND @ 14th SURINAME JAZZ FESTIVAL
27-30 October 2016
 

 

Fra Fra Sound is coming to Suriname for the 14th edition of the Suriname Jazz Festival. 
Location:  Torarica Hotel - Mr. L.J. Rietbergplein - Paramaribo
Date: 10/30/2016 - Time: tba

 

BETWEEN DAKAR, PARAMARIBO AND AMSTERDAM'
24/07/2016 @ Bijlmer Parktheater
 

Sunday afternoon July 24th Fra Fra Sound will present 3 shows. 
At 14:00hrs Fra Fra Sound will perfom with Joell Wilson, a young talent who participated in Nyun Pransun. 

And at 16:00 and 18:00 uur Fra Fra Sound will share the stage with Amsterdams Senegalese vocalist and songwriter Mola Sylla.Together they are compiling a show in which the different backgrounds and shared cultural roots are merged, from Amsterdam to Dakar via Paramaribo and the Caribbean, with a prominent place for their mutual fascination for Malian music.

A ticket for this show also provides access to the Kwaku festival area.

For info and tickets see Bijlmer Parktheater.

MUSIC DEPT.  - booking agency

New year, new energy!! We welcome Music Dept. as our new booking agency. If you're interested in booking Fra Fra Sound please contact Maarten Mendelaar. Check this PAGE for contact details.

 

35 YEAR FRA FRA SOUND JUBILEE CONCERT

 

We've celebrated our 35rd anniversary with a special jubilee concert at the Bijlmer Parktheater. Special guest was steelpan player Andy Narell, a fenomenal musician who introduced the steelpan into jazz music. We've had a wonderful afternoon, for photo's click HERE

 

 

 

BRONZEVILLE

New CD Galloway Big Band now available! 

Featuring musicians from Fra Fra Sound and Fra Fra Big Band, like Robin van Geerke, Rutger van Otterloo, Michael Simon, Michael Varekamp, Joe Rivera and Vincent Henar. With top Chicago jazz drummer Ernie Adams as special guest. Bronzeville includes Chicago style arrangements and several compositions by TS Galloway.

 

€15,00 incl. shipment. See shop.

 

NIEUW:

 

FRA FRA BIG BAND latest album now on vinyll!

€20,00 incl. shipment. See shop.

 

 

 

Past shows:

 

 

FRA FRA SOUND @ BRASA DEI Utrecht November 29th 2015

FRA FRA SOUND @ OPO KONDRE Amsterdam November 25th 2015

FRA FRA SOUND @ VOODOO TO GO Utrecht September 20st 2015

FRA FRA SOUND @ METRO MOVIES FESTIVAL Amsterdam September 11th 2015

WORLD JAZZ & RHYTHMS @ SAIL 2015

FRA FRA SOUND @  Red Light Jazz Festival Amsterdam July 4th & 5th 2015

FRA FRA SOUND @  Keti Koti Rotterdam July 1st 2015

SOPHIE & NOLA  @ URBAN MYTH musical theatre

NYUN PRANSUN  @ BIJLMER JAZZ Bijlmerpark Theater December 7th 2014

NYUN PRANSUN & DENISE JANNAH @ Bijlmerpark Theater July 8th 2014

NYUN PRANSUN  @ Kwaku Summer Festival July 13th 2014

FRA FRA SOUND @ Parkpodium Boom & Bosch Augustus 24th 2014

 

 

COME PLAY WITH US:

Sign up for a Fra Fra Sound orchestra workshop in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.  
For more information see  MO Music Activation